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Eukaryotic Cell, April 2007, p. 616-621, Vol. 6, No. 4
1535-9778/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00020-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The MAT1 Locus of Histoplasma capsulatum Is Responsive in a Mating Type-Specific Manner{triangledown}

Meggan Bubnick1,2 and A. George Smulian2,3*

Department of Pathology,1 Infectious Disease Division, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0560,2 Cincinnati VA Medical Center, 3200 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 452203

Received 17 January 2007/ Accepted 14 February 2007

Recombination events associated with sexual replication in pathogens may generate new strains with altered virulence. Histoplasma capsulatum is a mating-competent, pathogenic fungus with two described phenotypic mating types, + and –. The mating (MAT) locus of H. capsulatum was identified to facilitate molecular studies of mating in this organism. Through syntenic analysis of the H. capsulatum genomic sequence databases, a MAT1-1 idiomorph region was identified in H. capsulatum strains G217B and WU24, and a MAT1-2 idiomorph region was identified in the strain G186AR. A mating type-specific PCR assay was developed, and two clinical isolates of opposite genotypic mating type, UH1 and VA1, were identified. A known – mating type strain, T-3-1 (ATCC 22635), was demonstrated to be of MAT1-2 genotypic mating type. The clinical isolates UH1 and VA1 were found to be mating compatible and also displayed mating-type-dependent regulation of the MAT transcription factors in response to extracts predicted to contain mating pheromones. These studies support a role for the identified MAT1 locus in determining mating type in H. capsulatum.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Infectious Disease Division, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0560. Phone: (513) 861-3100, ext. 4425. Fax: (513) 475-6415. E-mail: alan.smulian{at}uc.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 23 February 2007.

Eukaryotic Cell, April 2007, p. 616-621, Vol. 6, No. 4
1535-9778/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00020-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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